Follow the click-through buttons in each chapter below to browse fact sheets. Beneath the description of each fact sheet, you'll find links to topics referenced in the fact sheet.
You can also navigate directly to a specific fact sheet by using the blue drop down menu at the bottom of any page.
For questions about this resource, please email smallfarms@agr.wa.gov
Where should you go for help with your small farm or food-related business? This chapter covers ways to learn about everything from classes and workshops to field days and conferences. A host of organizations, including non-profits, government agencies, schools, and industry-specific groups work hard to provide these resources. This section covers how to link up with these efforts including information for Veteran, Spanish-speaking, and Hmong farmers.
Like any business owner, farmers and those running farm-related businesses need to do buiness planning and ensure they have the right licenses, pay the proper taxes, get the necessary insurance, and have the financing to make their specific farm or food business a success. This section covers those topics as well as laws related to employees and labor.
One thing any business needs is customers. This section offers ideas and strategies to help you find those customers and grow your business. Facts sheets cover considerations for selling direct to customers at farmers markets, CSA's, U-pick. and online, as well as selling to schools, restaurants, grocery stores and co-ops. Getting into Culinary and Agritourism, selling via food hubs and, even donating to food banks are also included in this section.
Organic certification may be the best known of the certifications available to growers and food-related businesses, but there are many labels available. Which ones best inform your customers about your products, your values and your priorities? This section explains some of the more common certifications, what's involved in obtaining them, and where to learn more about them.
Are you a food processor, thinking of becoming one, or just not sure if the preparation of your product qualifies as food processing? Get the answers you need in this section, which covers everything from licensing requirements to where help can be found. Cottage Food permits, product recalls, and the new federal food safety rules are also covered.
Some products, such as nuts, eggs, alcoholic beverages, lotions and cosmetics, have specific regulations that govern how they're handled, who can sell them, where they're sold and a host of other aspects. Learn more about the various requirements for these and other specific products in this section.